On The Other Side
by Manzana
Summary: Hatter drabbles from this side of the Looking Glass
1. Burning

It's the feelings, it turns out, that cause Wonderlanders to live so much longer than Oysters. Emotions burn through life-forces like nothing Hatter had ever seen. No wonder the Queen had been able to keep things going for so long after the Looking-Glass closed. Oysters feel something about everything.

The first time he realized this, he & Alice had been out for a walk and passed a shop with a truly delectable aroma winding out into the street.

"Oh, that smells amazing!" Alice practically moaned the words & ushered Hatter inside. The smell was quite good, he had to admit, and the taste, more so. But it brought home the realization that even his Little Oyster had no idea how strongly she felt. She liked this 'ice cream' so much, she thought she loved it.

It suddenly occurred to him that he was not immune to these intense emotions, he was burning too. Every glance, touch, sound from his Little Oyster set him aflame in an entirely enjoyable way. If his previously looong life expectancy yielded this in exchange, he would give up the years with a smile. As long as he had Alice, he would burn, and burn gladly.


	2. Of Fruit

He had been enjoying a nice cuppa in what he had cheerfully named the drinking section while he waited for Alice to arrive for their 'date'. Hatter still had not figured out what fruit had to do with meeting someone for dinner. 'Peachy' was another term that eluded him; what was it with Oysters and fruit?

"How's about a shot of liquid courage?"

Hatter nearly spit out his drink at the question. Turning around, he spotted the bartender addressing a man with a small velvet box who nodded solemnly. He watched as the man with the box knocked back a small glass of amber liquid, then seemed to gather his thoughts as though they were lying all over the bar, and stuff them in his coat pocket along with the mysterious box.

He was puzzled by the actions. Hatter had tried that vile concoction; it tasted like licking a momerath, something that he would suggest never trying. There wasn't the slightest bit of courage in there and as a former Tea Shoppe owner, he should know!

A horrible thought suddenly occurred to him: on this side of the Glass, was He an Oyster?


	3. An Ounce

"I swear that man doesn't have an ounce of compassion!" Alice had been ranting for quite some time; Hatter was still not sure what she was upset about . . . or with.

"Why? Do you need some? I still have a few contacts who deal Teas, wouldn't be too difficult to get a hold of some for you. Probably get it pretty cheep too." Compassion wasn't one of the more popular flavors. He was puzzled. Why would his Little Oyster would want Tea, let alone that one. Yeah, you could make it last awhile, but it was still an ounce and Hatter could think of no one more compassionate than Alice.

She looked at him like he had grown an extra head. "What? No, it's just an expression."

". . . I don't get it."

"It's like, someone forgot to add compassion when he was put together."

Hatter stared at her in bewilderment before shrugging and wondering off. "It probably wouldn't work on Oysters anyway."

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AN: I am now officially out of ideas. This has been a lot of fun to write and I hate to see it end, but that's what I am looking at right now. If you want this to continue, you are more than welcome to send me suggestions/ideas.

Thank you for reading!


	4. What's in a Name?

"So you're saying the tea shops here sell tea? Real, actual, leaf brewed tea?"

"Well, yeah."

"And you can drink as much as you like?"

"Kinda depends on the place."

"Is this one of those places?"

"What's with the 20 questions? I thought you use to run a tea shop."

"It was a Tea Shoppe, not a tea shop. We only sold the Queen's Tea."

"You really called those emotional elixirs tea?"

"Yep. Hence, TEA Shoppe."

"Well, then what did you call the real, actual, leaf brewed tea?"

"Expensive."


	5. Sing a Song

Alice had one of the most adorable habits Hatter had ever encountered: she sang while she cleaned. Whether along with the radio box or by herself, sweeping the hall or a manic cleaning spree, a song danced across her lips. Today, she was washing dishes.

He usually paid no mind to what she was singing, just enjoyed the sounds of Home, but something in the chorus caught his attention. He followed the sound into the kitchen, certain he had misheard. When the chorus came around again, he let loose the most undignified snort to ever leave his lips.

By the time Alice caught on and turned around, Hatter was using the counter to hold himself up. Curiosity was written on every inch of her face. What could possibly be that funny? He pulled himself together long enough to sputter "Money can't buy you love!" before surrendering to gravity.

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AN: This idea was the original insperation for What's in a Name. The story had other ideas (obviously) so I had to write this to let it out.

Feedback/ideas are required if this fic is going to continue. Seriously, I'm out. Thumbs up or down would be nice too.


	6. Touch a Star

Alice, as it turned out, was an incredibly tactile person. Well, at least as far as Hatter, a fairly solitary person, was concerned. (He had a sneaky suspicion that Daddy issues were involved.) She would absently brush the tips of her fingers across his nearest limb or twine their arms together or hold her hand out, trusting he would be there to take it.

It was the last of these that truly unnerved him. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be there for her. Never, not once, in all his long years had anyone ever trusted him like that.

* * *

**AN**: Sorry I've been gone so long, RL will do that to you.


	7. To See the Wizard

Voraciously, Hatter absorbed every inch of his surroundings. His eyes wandered along a trail of stars that lead across the ceiling to an enormous glittering sun concealing the main light source. The golden lattice of vines writhing up the walls were incredible. In Wonderland, performance spaces were blank, devoid of decoration so as not to distract from the entertainment. Never had he been in a place so . . . ethereal.

He followed Alice down an isle and into seats halfway through the room, all the while carting the enormous tub of Buttered Popped Corn she swore was a necessity.

"Don't want to sit too close, you know." she explained. (How absurd!)

He had enjoyed a number of different performances over the years, but this was like nothing he had ever seen before. The screen never went up, it burst with life in shades of grey and sounds that defied description. It was beautifully thunderous, seeming to come from both everywhere and nowhere. And then the screen erupted into color.

They left elated discussing the symbolism of black and white vs. color, reality vs. dream.

"How about you? Do you dream in Technicolor or black and white?" She asked him as they left the building.

"Technicolor," he said braiding their fingers together. "Definitely Technicolor."

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**AN**: I would like to thank the lovely Rosebud5 for the prompt. See, told you I would get around to it ;)


	8. Hearts on Display

She had been a bit slow on the uptake when he started jumping at shadows a few weeks after his first Christmas, claming 'this is just how it started, with little things!' . Even after she explained away the cultural significance, he didn't settle down until it all disappeared nearly a month later.

It really should not have surprised her that Hatter kept track of all the little details. Like that green apples were her favorite or that chocolate ice cream is best when covered in peanut butter or how she felt about rings.

When your Beau is from another dimension, a girl knows better than to expect a big fuss on Valentine's Day.

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**AN**: Happy Valentine's Day and love to ALL!


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